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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. That must've been a ________________.
  23. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. lash — to lash out
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. content — the amount
  5. fall — to drop
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. content — happy
  8. track — a path
  9. season — in sport
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. rush — hurry
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. fall — the season
  15. present — the time now
  16. present — a gift
  17. present — there
  18. content — videos and posts
  19. season — of the year
  20. lash — an eyelash
  21. track — a song
  22. rush — a thrill
  23. fall — to drop
  24. track — to keep track

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com